This invention relates generally to baling machines typically referred to as "round balers" which form cylindrical roll bales of crop material.
In a conventional type of roll baling machine such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,007, an upper apron and a lower apron cooperate to form a roll bale of crop material that is supported on the lower apron. The upper and lower aprons are driven by the power take off unit (PTO) of a tractor during bale forming. When it is desired to discharge a completed roll bale from the machine, the standard procedure is to stop the tractor PTO, then raise the rear frame of the baling machine, and then restart the tractor PTO to drive the lower apron which carries the bale rearwardly where it may be discharged from the baling machine. When the rear frame is raised, the upper apron is declutched from the tractor PTO and thus is not driven when the PTO is restarted. This procedure is recommended because if the tractor PTO is not stopped before the rear frame is raised, the bale may be carried rearwardly by the lower apron and actually interfere with the raising of the rear frame. This procedure is, however, undesirable because it is time consuming.